1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuit amplifiers.
2. Prior Art
There frequently is a need for a very-wide-dynamic-range amplifier having low-noise in the high-gain mode and very high-input-overload capabilities in the low-gain mode. In the prior art, this has been realized by connecting two amplifiers in parallel, one having the desired low-noise and high-gain, and the other having the desired low-gain, high-input-overload capability. In this way, either characteristic may be achieved by enabling the amplifier which has the characteristics desired at the time. Such an arrangement, however, is less than ideal, as it does not provide for a smooth transition between the two very different characteristics while still maintaining high-input-overload characteristics, and does not allow optimization of the operating characteristics of the overall amplifier system under all operating conditions.